The old woman sighed and reached her old and wrinkled hand to gently stroke the back of the woman's head.
Her hands seemed to have a magical magical power. Under her gentle stroke, both the young woman and the bow slowly calmed down.
In the old woman's cloudy eyes, there was infinite tender loving care. She moved her wrinkled lips and said sadly. “ Qian Er, you are in too deep, it will only hurt you. nanny knows that you are in pain. This bow was like a demon consuming your soul every day in the past few years. look what it has done to you…”
The young woman’s exquisite face was filled with a bitter smile. But her hands were still stroking the ancient bow like a mother stroking her newborn kid, and her eyes were filled with obsession, satisfaction, and pride.
“I don't regret it!” the young woman said after a few minutes of silence.
“ Three years ago, nanny told you that it didn't belong to us. It didn't even belong to this world. It is arrogant, majestic and powerful. However, it is also persistent and loyal. It is always waiting for its master quietly. No matter how hard we tried, it…” the old woman said sadly.
The young woman raised her beautiful face and smiled at the old woman one more time:” nanny. look. How beautiful it is. How alluring it is. How unique it is. It is mine, and I am its. In this life, we will not be separated!”
She said while holding the bow against her chest, bowing her head down and using her tender face to gently stroking the bow.
Seeing her mind was filled with the bow, the old man felt helpless and sad:” Maybe it's the fate….”
The young woman raised her head and asked casually:” Nanny... if its master is dead, do you think It will still wait?….”
The old woman had a chill went down her spine and it made her tremble:” but that person is still alive….” The old woman couldn't believe what she heard.
But the young woman didn't seem to have heard her reply, she still murmured as if she was talking to herself:” what if the person is dead… what if …. dead...”
The old woman was shocked. She grabbed the young woman's shoulder and said with extreme concern:” Qian Er, Qian Er, wake up, wake up, you can't do this! It will get you killed!”
The young woman gave her a bitter grin and said:” Nanny. Without it, what is the point for me to live?”
She bowed her head down again to look at the bow:” I am part of it….”
The old woman staggered. The young woman's word almost made her pass out.
“ It was nanny's fault, nanny's fault! I shouldn't have supported you to buy the bow that day. It was all my fault…” the old woman cried.
“No…” the young woman smiled at the old woman and said:” you didn't do anything wrong. It was the best gift I got in my whole life. You made me understand the meaning of life, let me experienced many wonderful moments in my life. You will always be one of the most important people in my life.”
The young woman stood up and walked past the old woman, but she was immediately stopped by the old woman.
“ Qian Er, wait! “ The old woman turned around and said. Her face was already covered with tears. :” Let Nanny help you, maybe… maybe... your dream…”
The young woman's body suddenly trembled a little. She stopped, but she didn't turn around. :” Nanny, this time, it is its master, you will lose all your power, you might even lose your… you have helped me too much, Qian Er doesn't want you…..” the young woman shook her head and said.
The old woman forced herself to pull herself together and walked towards the young woman. She reached her hand out to stroke the young woman's beautiful long hair and said in a tender tone. :” Qian Er. You know when Nanny was young, nanny also had a very long hair. Your grandfather’s mother Mrs. Chu would always help Nanny to take care of them every morning. Every time, your grandfather would stand outside the window while holding his book, quietly look at us through the window…..”
The old woman’s face blushed when talked about this. That was the happiest moments of her life. It was a young girl's dream, a young girl’s fairy tale. However, she had to hide it from everyone and forced herself not to talk out it.
“.... your grandfather was a student, but he was also very valiant. He worried about a lot of things until he met Mr. Sun. Meeting Mr.Sun was the happiest moment of his life. I always kept myself away from him but secretly watching him from a place far away. Whenever I noticed he was happy, I would be happy too.
I know that I am not as good as your grandmother Miss Qiao. I envy her. She went to study abroad, learned a lot of new things. Listening to her explaining how things work was an enjoyment. She treated me like a sister, taught me a lot of things. She and your grandfather were made for each other, they were all smart people….
Later, I took a vow in front of Mrs. Chu that I would never marry for life,(1) so she could teach me the knowledge of Chu Clan and complete her father’s death will. Your father was your grandfather’s only son. When he was just a month old, the war broke out. There were so many bodies…. I escaped all the way to Hong Kong with your father, but your father was injured…..
Only when your father grew up did I realized that the injury caused a serious problem. I tried everything I could to make your mother pregnant with his kid. You know how happy your parents were when they found out they had you? You are their only child… Qian Er, you know that you are nanny’s everything… you are my bow!…”
The girl wiped the tears off her face, turned around and snuggled into her arms:” nanny…. ” she said quietly.
“Silly girl! ” The old woman happily stroked the woman's soft shoulders and said, "Give me the bow..."
The young woman nodded her head and passed the bow to the old woman, then sat in seiza on her side.
The old woman slowly took out a large number of colorful ritual apparatus from an exquisite wooden box on the side, then spread a specially made yellow paper on the ground. She cautiously dipped one ritual apparatus that resembled a drawing tool into a small plate of unknown pigments that she seemed to very cherished, and then she began to draw something carefully on the yellow paper with total concentration.
If Chu Yunsheng was here, he would definitely be surprised. Although the diagram the old woman drew was crooked and full of mistakes, it was undoubtedly a talisman!
--------------------translator’s note--------------------
In China, only boys are allowed to inherit families heritage. But there was an exception where If the girls took a vow that they would never marry in their lives, they could also inherit families heritage.
for more information about this please check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrilineality